In the conference, the participants will discuss the impact to fragility of countries, community and businesses from climate change as well as effective approach to the potential risks in the future. The conference will build upon the findings from the report titled Analysis and Proposal of Foreign Policies Regarding the Impact of Climate Change on Fragility in the Asia-Pacific Region — With focus on natural disasters in the Region — released on September 2017 as well as outcome of the follow-up meeting of experts in Japan on March 28 2018.

Details of the conference will be released in due course on this site.

Climate change is considered as one of the most serious challenges that pose threats to global security and economic prosperity. The G7 Foreign Ministers have been discussing this topic since 2013, through working group on climate change and fragility. The G7 Hiroshima Foreign Ministers' Meeting in 2017 recognized the urgency of addressing climate-fragility risks and stressed the importance of aligning efforts on foreign policy towards the common goal of reducing the risks in order to increase resilience against global climate change.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan organized a roundtable seminar on climate change and fragility implications on international security in January 2017 and its follow-up review meetings. The seminar and meetings proposed such actions as:

• study and discuss climate change and fragility in Asia and Pacific region;
• explore concrete approaches to be taken by the government; and
• make proposals to the related G7 Foreign Ministers' meetings.

As a follow up, Japan submitted the report about analysis on climate change impacts to natural disasters in Asia and Pacific region and correlation with socioeconomic fragility in the region at the working group held in Rome in October 2017 to the G7 Italian presidency. The findings of report was also shared at COP23 Preparatory Workshop in Suva, Fiji as well as COP23 in Bonn, Germany.

At this international conference on climate change and fragility in Asia and Pacific region, the participants are encouraged to discuss various aspects of fragility and security, risk management of companies in the regions and investment risks brought by climate change with particular emphasis on extreme weather events and resilient infrastructure. Participants will explore approaches/actions which central/local governments, and companies, think tanks, researchers and civil society can take to address potential risks in the future through considering scenarios.

The discussion will build upon the findings of the 2017 report as well as feedback and comments given at various occasions including follow-up meeting of experts on March 28, 2018. The outcome of the conference will be released on this page and will be utilized as proposals in international conferences including the working group.

[This description originally appeared on mofa.go.jp]